Acts 1:21 - Printer Friendly

ESV: So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,

NIV: Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us,

NASB: Therefore it is necessary that of the men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us—

CSB: "Therefore, from among the men who have accompanied us during the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us--

NLT: So now we must choose a replacement for Judas from among the men who were with us the entire time we were traveling with the Lord Jesus —

KJV: Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,

NKJV: “Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,

Peter is explaining to the 120 Jesus-followers in the upper room that, before the Holy Spirit comes, they need to find a replacement for Judas Iscariot. Peter has shown through Old Testament Scripture that Judas' position needs to be filled (Acts 1:20) in part because Jesus specified that the twelve apostles would judge the tribes of Israel from twelve thrones (Matthew 19:28).

Jesus originally chose His twelve disciples knowing that Judas would betray Him (John 6:70). It is consistent in Jewish history for the specific identities of God's chosen to change. Jacob was the father of twelve sons who became the patriarchs of the twelve tribes of Israel, but not in a simple or clean way. Near his death, Jacob adopted Joseph's two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, leaving Joseph out of the mix but ending up with thirteen tribes (Genesis 48:1–22). During the Israelites' stay at Mt. Sinai, God withdrew the Levites for His own special use, returning the count to twelve (Numbers 1:47–54). When the 144,000 will be chosen during the tribulation, 12,000 from each tribe, Ephraim will be named as Joseph, Levi will be included, and Dan will be strangely absent (Revelation 7:5–8).

Peter sets the qualifications for Judas' replacement. Jesus had said the apostles will be His "witnesses" (Acts 1:8), so they need someone who has witnessed Jesus. Throughout Jesus' three-year ministry, the Twelve disciples followed Him wherever He went, but they usually weren't alone. Regularly, crowds joined them, even when they weren't wanted (Matthew 4:23–25; Mark 3:7–10). Some people would have stayed as long as they could, traveling with Jesus like groupies traveling with their favorite band. Peter's first requirement is that Judas' replacement was a part of this crowd. He goes on to say the man must have been with them from the day of Jesus' baptism by John the Baptist until the ascension. After consideration, the group concludes there are two qualified candidates (Acts 1:22–23).

Acts 1:12–26 records what happens when the Jesus-followers pray. Jesus has ascended (Acts 1:9). The Holy Spirit is coming (Acts 1:5). The apostles don't really know what these things mean, but they know where to start. They join the other Jesus-followers in Jerusalem and start praying. The next order of business is to find a replacement for Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus (Matthew 26:14–16, 47–50) and then hanged himself (Matthew 27:3–10). The remaining eleven apostles don't know this yet, but their third task will literally be to change the world.

Acts 1 sets the stage for the establishment of the church and the spread of the gospel. Jesus is alive but if the Holy Spirit is to come Jesus must ascend into heaven (John 16:7). The disciples obey His last instructions and wait in Jerusalem. Peter uses Old Testament Scripture to show the group of about 120 they must choose a disciple to replace Judas. The man must have been with them from Jesus' baptism to His ascension. Joseph Barsabbas and Matthias are put forward and, in the last use of the lots found in the Bible, Matthias is chosen.

Acts 1 is the second letter Luke wrote for Theophilus. In it, he narrates the transition between Jesus' ministry as described in the Gospel of Luke and the development and spread of the church. The disciples have received a temporary indwelling of the Holy Spirit (John 20:22), and Jesus has spent forty days reassuring His faithful followers (Acts 1:3), appearing to over five hundred in that short time (1 Corinthians 15:6). Now, the disciples complete some administrative-like tasks before the Holy Spirit can begin the ministry of the church on Pentecost (Acts 2).

The summary of the book of Acts is provided in Jesus' words in Acts 1:8: ''But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'' In Acts 2:1–13, the Christ-followers receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:14—7:60 describes the rapid growth of the church in Jerusalem. Chapters 8—12 find Jewish persecution inadvertently spreading the gospel throughout Judea and Samaria. And in chapters 13—28, Paul and his companions spread the good news throughout the Roman Empire.